Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-03-13
THE LEGISLATURE.
ITS SPECIAL SESSION TO BEGIN on
WEDNESDAY MKT.
The Governors Msssags-Licsnse Laws
Upset-constitutionsl Amendment.

anu VIII t.pieeo LID ''0"o 80 w
legislation is desirable. The three
most prominent subjects to claim the
attention Of the General Assembly are !:
/. The coupon question and the pub
lie debt.
III. Action on the report Of the re-
visers Of the Code.
I'll. Revision of the State license
laws to meet the decision of the United
States Supreme Court in the drummers'
tax.
PROPOSED LEGISLATION.
It is understood that q bill will be
presented TO the General Assembly
which will effectually check the use OF
coupons for property and other taxes,
and that it Will be so framed as not to
be liable to review in Judge Bonds
court. III it comes up to the expecta-
tions of its trainers the man who at
tempts to pay his taxes in unverified
coupons will be sued, and when iudg-
ment is obtained it will be a lien on his
property.
There is high authority for saying
that the bill will stand the test of all
the courts.
Another debt -measure-t most radi
cal one ever suggested here-ls an
amendment to the Constitution repu-
dating ell bonds not funded in new 3's
within limited time. Such propo-
sition to be adopted must be favorably
passed on by two legislatures and then
submitted to the people at general or
special election for ratification.
Ii does not appear that the Democrats
can be counted on to vote solidly for
this measure.
THE CODE.
The codifcation of the laws is COM
plete, but not so the explanatory report
of the revisers. 1t will be for the two
houses, after comforting with the re-
visers, to say if under such circum-
stances they will proceed to act on the
new Code. Probably they will resolve
affirmatively, inasmuch as their COM
mittees can have the personal presence
of the revisers (Messrs. Burks, Rely,
and Staples to explain every change
recommended.
LICENSE TAXES.
1t is exceedingly fortunate that the
Governor called the General Assembly
together when he did, for the drum
mers'-tax decision has almost knocked
the bottom out of our system of license
laws.
BY this stroke Virginia loses nomi-
nally from $4,000 to 100000 per an
mum in revenue. But that is not all.
Unless the General Assembly greatly
reduce the license taxes on our mer-
chants, resident merchants will be I'M
dersold and rooted out by tax-free
drummers. For example: The agent
of any northern wholesale hquor-house
can set himself up here in Richmond
and take orders free of State or city
tax. The resident merchant is heavily
taxed and cannot stand any such COM
petition.
The General Assembly can hardly
refuse to open their eyes to such con-
sequences. If they do right, taxation
of Virginia merchants will be reduced
to enable them to meet their tax-free
competitors.
The merchants of this city certainly
expect this Legislature to put them on
fair footing with the non-residents.
If there has been any such thing as
ga surplus" i'll the Treasury for the
past few years it will no longer be there
when the license laws are equitably
adapted to meet the decision of the
United States Supreme Court.
The special Committee on the
Oyster Interest.
At the last session of the General AS
semblya Joint committee was appointed
"to sit during the recess of the General
Assembly to investigate the questions
relating to the oyster industry of this
State and the laws regulating the same,
and that they report to the next session
of their respective houses, and for the
purpose of carrying out the object OF
this resolution the commander of the
oyster-poIice steamer Chesapeake is
directed TO transport the committee
from place to place as far as practicable
in order for them to inspect the oyster
grounds
The committee have visited all the
waters of this State and examined and
inspected the oyster-rocks and planting
grounds have taken evidence touching
the various interests connected with the
"oyster industry viz, longing,
planting, dredging, packing, shipping,
and propagsting the oyster also, the
riparian rights and the carrying trade.
They have already spent goodmany
days in making the inspection, and
they are now in session in Richmond
preparing a report, which they say will
be a long one, presenting many new
facts to the General Assembly with
some recommendations respecting the
present law governing this industry.
Already this committee have causedt the
"Board on Chesapeake to reduce the
expenses Of running the police-steamer
nearly $1,000 per annum.
The report will give the number OF
vessels and other craft engaged in the
oyster trade and their value will give
the number of tongers in Virginia ;
will estimate the value of the planted
oysters the number of stores obtain
ing licenses in consequence of the
trade; the high assessed value of the
real estate bordering on the water, and
will show the great Importance OF pro-
tectiDg this industry in order to have
these taxable values as well as to dis
charge the duty the State owes to the
people living in Tidewater.
The report will be accompanied by
ten large charts showing the various
natural oyster-rocks and planting
grounds in the waters of this Common
wealth. 1t will be ready for the special
session. The joint committee is con-
stituted as follows Messrs. Stubbs,
Blackstone, and Lovenstein, of the
Senate Messrs. Shields, Bohannon,
Loving, Wise, and Mayo, of the House.
Since Mr.. Shields's resignation MIR. A..
w. Eastwood has been put in his place
Personals and Briefs.
The Board of Aldermen meets to-